Hugh Masekela

THE CHISA YEARS

bbe

2lp

Released:
11th May 2018

£23.99

an absolutely crucial compilation this -- bbe have dug deep into the archives and brought out 14 rare or forgotten tracks recorded between 1965 to 1975 on the Chisa Records label.

it focusses on Masekela’s original idea of ‘African American Music’, mixing doo-wop, rhythm & blues and South African gospel. it adds Johannesburg Street Band styles to the mix, as well as some Fela-influenced stuff, each track revealing a multi-pronged effort challenge notions of how African and American cultural forms interact. “In sum, there isn’t a weak moment on this entire collection. It’s appeal is wide and deep and one can only hope this is the first of many volumes of this material to appear. BBE Records has done a stellar job in making this slab available.” – allmusic